Businessman, clinic have grand plans for Ypsilanti community center, neighborhood

Leisa Thompson | The Ann Arbor NewsLocal businessman John Barfield, left, and Tommy Frye, director of the Parkridge Community Center, have worked to keep the Parkridge Community Center on Armstrong Drive in Ypsilanti open.

John Barfield recalls Harriet Street in Ypsilanti teeming with shops, restaurants and offices. It was the place to see and be seen for black residents living south of Michigan Avenue during the 1940s and '50s, years of segregation.

"You dress up on a Saturday night and take your girlfriend out to a restaurant," Barfield said. "It was a vibrant street and magnificent community."

But the street began to change with urban renewal and the arrival of a more mobile society. Residents moved beyond Michigan Avenue, homes were destroyed to make way for large apartment complexes and businesses closed.

Today, the only sound of business on the once-busy street comes from the hair clippers at Currie's Barber Shop, the only business left on Harriet west of Hamilton Street. Owner Ed Currie said he does not like being alone, and he wants people and businesses to return.

That sentiment could become a reality under proposals by Barfield and the Hope Clinic. Both have plans to revive the neighborhood and resurrect prosperity south of Michigan Avenue.

Barfield, a local businessman, is proposing a $4 million project to renovate the Parkridge Center on Armstrong Drive and build a 20,000-square-foot learning center next to it. He is proposing to lease classroom space to the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, Washtenaw Community College and Washtenaw County. The rent money will pay for construction loans and operations and would keep the center open.

The Hope Clinic operates a service center on Harriet Street a block from the Parkridge Ridge Community Center. It bought adjacent land and structures and wants to expand its building to consolidate services in one place. In addition to the service center, the nonprofit organization operates a medical clinic on Arnet Street, a dental clinic on Adams Street and offers dinners on weekends at the Salvation Army building along Park Street.

COURTESY HOBBS & BLACK ARCHITECTS OF ANN ARBOR A southeast perspective of the proposed Parkridge Community Center in Ypsilanti.

Barfield presented his plan to the city and he received initial support. He said once you bring the people back, the businesses will return and the neighborhood will prosper.

"It's our vision for the neighborhood and the beginning of development in the city," Barfield said.

Hope Clinic Executive Director Cathy Robinson said Hope's plans would make the organization more efficient and would bring comprehensive services to the people who need them. The city approved Hope's plan and the organization is raising the money to begin construction in the fall, she said.

"We want to be a positive effect in the neighborhood," Robinson said.

Mayor Pro Tem Trudy Swanson grew up in the neighborhood and has watched change over the years. She said Hope's plan will help poor people in the area and Barfield's proposal would secure activities for the children. "I support them both," she said.

The council eliminated the city's recreation department in 2003 and reduced funding for Parkridge. Council Member Lois Richardson and a group of residents formed a committee to save the center and appointed Barfield to lead the effort.

Leisa Thompson | The Ann Arbor NewsSteven Woolery, 13, goes for a layup at the center.

Richardson said both plans promise to create jobs, bring people to the area and services to the community.

"They are good plans for the entire city," she said. "For both projects, I'm willing to work my heart out."

Barfield is chairman emeritus of the Bartech Group in Livonia, an information and staffing company. He has been raising funds for the past few years to keep the center open because he said he lived across the street from Parkridge and had his wedding there.

The center on Armstrong Drive has a gymnasium, a few offices and meeting space. It offers recreational activities and after-school programs to area residents.
The money for construction would come from a $4 million revenue bond the city would sell, Barfield says.

Robinson said the Harriet Street building is about 3,500 square feet and includes six offices. The organization bought about 16,000 square feet behind the building and tore down a garage and apartment building to make room for the expansion, she said. The aim is to complete construction next year, she said.

Both projects feel as welcome as the cool powder that Currie brushes on customers' necks. Currie has been cutting hair on Harriet Street for 40 years.

"It all sounds good to me," Currie said. "More people means more business."